Abuja – The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has
initiated a scheme aimed at getting kerosene to consumers across the
country at the regulated price of N50 per litre.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the
Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, of the
corporation, Mr Ohi Alegbe.
Jonathan
Also the Federal Government has announced N10 reduction in the price of
Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as fuel, from N97 to N87 per
litre.
The Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, made this known to State House correspondents on Sunday in Abuja.
She said the Petroleum Product Price Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) ‘had
already been directed to immediately effect the new change from midnight
on Sunday 18.
According to her, the change is in view of recent reduction in the global price of crude oil.
‘‘In line with Section 6 Clause 1 of the Petroleum Act?, that it is
my responsibility as the Minister of Petroleum to announce that there
will be a reduction in the pump price of petroleum by N10, therefore the
reduction will be from N97 per litre to N87 per litre, effective as of
mid-night Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015.
‘‘In line with this I have directed the Petroleum Product ?Pricing
Regulatory Agency and the Directorate of Petroleum Resources to ensure
there is strict adherence to this new pricing regime as soon as it takes
effect from midnight Sunday Jan. 18, 2015.
‘‘I do hope the entire country will benefit immensely from this reduction in the pump price of petroleum,’’ she said.
The Minister reassured that government would continue to ensure that
the volatility in the oil market did not destabilise the reduction in
price, saying that ‘‘we think it’s safe? to implement it at this time.’’
Alegbe said the scheme ‘Kero Correct’ initiative’ was also aimed at
cutting off the several layers of middlemen who made it difficult for
the end user to enjoy the subsidy on the product.
The statement said that the Executive Director, Commercial, of the
Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr Frank Amego,
announced the initiative at a one-day workshop in Abuja.
It said the workshop that was organised by the NNPC was to enlighten
some Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and volunteers engaged to
help monitor the sales of the product at NNPC Mega and affiliate
stations across the country.
It quoted Amego as saying that the scheme was aimed at getting
kerosene to the Nigerians who used the product as their domestic cooking
fuel at the correct price
He observed that though kerosene was the most subsidised product, Nigerians had not been enjoying the subsidy.
He said this was because of the long arbitrage system involved in its
distribution and retailing, and diversion of the product by marketers
to the construction industry where it was used for blending bitumen.
“The Kero Correct initiative is thus designed to distribute and sell
kerosene directly to end users from NNPC Retail mega and affiliate
stations across the country at the government-regulated price of N50 per
litre to ensure effective control,” he stated.
He said the scheme which would be officially launched soon, would
involve the distribution of a total of 1,500 trucks of kerosene across
NNPC Retail’s mega and affiliate stations across the country.
This, he said, was to ensure that each consumer gets at least 25 litres of the product over the next three months.
President Goodluck Jonathan has made it known that the May 29 hand over that will be held in high esteem and will not be changed. Speaking at a meeting with the United States of America, USA, Secretary of State, John Kerry. Jonathan said that the date is ‘sacrosanct’.
The people of the Middle Belt said they regretted voting for President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2011 general elections. They said that in spite of their support for the President, they had nothing to show for it. The Middle Belt people, however, said despite their disappointment, they would still vote for him again in the February 14 general elections.
